assignment writing in word - The University of Auckland Library

C O M P U T E R S K I L L S D E V E L O P M E N T P R O G R A M M E 

ASSIGNMENT WRITING IN WORD 

© 2 0 0 8 , S t u d e n t L e a r n i n g C e n t r e , C e n t r e f o r A c a d e m i c D e v e l o p m e n t , 

T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f A u c k l a n d 

W W W : h t t p : / / w w w . s l c . a u c k l a n d . a c . n z 

E m a i l : s l c @ a u c k l a n d . a c . n z

Contents 

WORD 2003 VERSUS WORD 2007 .......................................................................... 2 

STARTING MS WORD ................................................................................................... 3 

Understanding the MS Word Screen ........................................................................................... 3 

The Ribbon ........................................................................................................................................ 3 

Ruler .................................................................................................................................................. 4 

Document .......................................................................................................................................... 4 

View Buttons ..................................................................................................................................... 4 

Status Bar .......................................................................................................................................... 4 

Quick Access Toolbar ........................................................................................................................ 4 

Title Bar ............................................................................................................................................. 4 

WORKING WITH FILES................................................................................................ 5 

Creating a New Document .......................................................................................................... 5 

Saving Documents ....................................................................................................................... 5 

Closing Documents and Exiting MS Word .................................................................................... 6 

Opening Documents.................................................................................................................... 6 

WORKING WITH TEXT ................................................................................................ 7 

Entering Text ............................................................................................................................... 7 

Selecting Text .............................................................................................................................. 7 

Deleting Text ............................................................................................................................... 8 

Cutting, copying and pasting ....................................................................................................... 8 

FORMATTING ................................................................................................................. 9 

Fonts ........................................................................................................................................... 9 

Bold, Italics, and Underline ............................................................................................................. 10 

Using the Font Dialog Box ............................................................................................................... 10 

Paragraph ................................................................................................................................. 11 

Paragraph Alignment ...................................................................................................................... 11 

Line Spacing ..................................................................................................................................... 11 

Bulleting and Numbering ................................................................................................................ 12 

SETTING-UP PAGES ................................................................................................... 12 

Page Size ................................................................................................................................... 13 

Margins ..................................................................................................................................... 13 

Orientation ............................................................................................................................... 13 

Breaking Pages .......................................................................................................................... 14 

Numbering Pages ...................................................................................................................... 14 

USEFUL FEATURES FOR ASSIGNMENT WRITING ............................................ 15 

Undo and Redo ......................................................................................................................... 15 

Spelling and Grammar Check .................................................................................................... 15 

Word Count .............................................................................................................................. 16 

PRINTING ..................................................................................................................... 16 

RELATED WORKSHOPS ........................................................................................... 17 

Word 2003 versus Word 2007 

There are substantial differences between Word 2003 and Word 2007 regarding the 

locations of commands outlined in this handout. This document has been written to suit 

only Word 2007. A helpful reference of locations of Word 2003 commands in Word 

2007 can be found at 

© 2008, Student Learning Centre, C e n t r e f o r A c a d e m i c D e v e l o p m e n t , 


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http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspxAssetID=AM101938681033&CTT=5&Ori 

gin=HA100625841033. 

Starting MS Word 

The manner in which MS Word should be opened may depend slightly on your computer 

setup. For most users however, the best way to open MS Word will be to choose: start 

All Programs Microsoft Office Microsoft Office Word 2007. Note: the ‘start’ 

button can be found in the bottom left of the computer screen. 

MS Word will open up with a new blank document ready to start. 

Understanding the MS Word Screen 

Quick Access Toolbar 

Title Bar 

The Ribbon 

Ruler 

Document 

Status Bar 

View Buttons 

The Ribbon 

The Ribbon is located at the top of the screen, and contains a range of options that can 

be utilised when working with MS Word. Commands are organised in logical groups that 

are collected together under tabs, e.g. the Home tab contains the Clipboard, Font, 

Paragraph, Styles and Editing groups collecting formatting related commands. 

To use an option in the Ribbon: 

1. Click a tab option, e.g. Home, Insert, Page Layout, and the relevant commands 

will appear underneath the tab. 



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2. To select a command, move the mouse over the command and click. Note: to 

find out what action a command performs, move the mouse cursor over it. A 

small box called a ‘screen tip’ will appear with a label explaining the function of 

the command. 

Ruler 

The ruler defines the margins and tabs of the document. The white area is the area 

available to work in, while the grey area shows the space between the working area and 

the edge of the page. 

If the ruler is not shown, you may turn it on by going to the View tab, and selecting the 

Ruler checkbox. 

Document 

A document in MS Word is where any typed information and formatting will appear; 

ready to be printed off later. Documents consist of ‘pages’, each of which is the 

equivalent of a printed page (such as A4). 

View Buttons 

The view buttons change the way your document is ‘viewed’. Note that this does not 

affect the content of the document, just the way it is displayed on-screen. 

Status Bar 

The Status Bar displays information about the document such as the number of pages 

and your current location within the document. 

Quick Access Toolbar 

The Quick Access Toolbar contains some command buttons for easy access. You may 

customise the Quick Access Toolbar to add or remove certain commands. To do this, 

click the arrow beside the Quick Access Toolbar and select/deselect the commands of 

your choice. 

Title Bar 

The Title Bar displays the title of the document that you are currently working on. 



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Working with Files 

Creating a New Document 

A new file will automatically open when you start the MS Word software. To create 

further new files: 

1. Click the Office Button ( , located in the top left corner of MS Word) and 

select New. 

2. In MS Word this will then open a number of new document options – click the 

type of document required, e.g. Blank document. 

Saving Documents 

It is very important to save work created in MS Word; otherwise it will not be possible to 

come back to it at a later date. When starting to work in a document, save it as soon as 

possible and then continue to save on a regular basis (in case the computer crashes or 

freezes). To save a document in MS Word: 

1. Click the Office Button ( ) and choose Save. 

2. Select the drive and/or folder where the document is to be saved by clicking on 

the drop-down arrow and choosing the relevant drive/folder. 

3. In the ‘File name:’ area, type a name for the document. Be as descriptive as 

possible, but try not to let file names get too long. 

4. Click the Save button. 

5. To ensure that the file has been saved, check the Title Bar at the top of the 

screen – this should now indicate the new file name. 



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Note that once your file has been saved, a quick way to save it periodically as you 

work is to click the ‘Save’ button ( ) on the Quick Access Toolbar or alternatively 

press Ctrl+S. 

If changes are made to a document it might be useful to save it under a different name 

e.g. save ‘Draft’ as ‘Final Draft’. To do so use the ‘Save As’ command: 

1. Click the Office Button ( ) and choose Save As. 

2. If you wish the new file to be saved in a different location, select the new drive 

or folder as required. 

3. In the ‘File name’ area, type the new name for the document. 

4. Click the Save button. 

Closing Documents and Exiting MS Word 

When finishing working with a document, it is a good idea to close it. It is possible to 

work with more than one document at a time; however it is best to avoid doing so as 

this will take up unnecessary space on your computer. To close a document: 

1. Click the Office Button ( ) and choose Close. 

2. If the most recent changes of the document are already saved, the document 

will close automatically. 

3. If the document has not been saved at all or has not been saved recently, MS 

Word will ask if you wish to save your document. Click Yes button to keep the 

work you have done and No if it is no longer required. 

Note that a quick way to close a document is to click the ‘close’ button ( 

right of your screen. 

) in the top 

When finished working with MS Word, it is important to exit the software and close ALL 

MS Word documents that are currently open. To do so: 

1. Click the Office Button ( ) and click the Exit Word button. 

2. If there are any unsaved documents, MS Word will prompt you to save them as 

per the prompts described above for closing documents. 

Opening Documents 

To open a document that has been previously created and saved: 

1. Click the Office Button ( ) and choose Open. 



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2. Select the drive where the document is stored by clicking on the drop-down 

arrow and choosing the relevant drive. 

3. Choose the required file by clicking once on the file, and click the Open button. 

Working with Text 

Entering Text 

To enter text in MS Word, simply type the letter(s) on the keyboard. As each letter is 

typed it will appear in the document and the ‘insertion point’ (i.e. the flashing vertical 

line) will move along the line. This insertion point indicates the position where type text 

will appear. To change the location of the insertion point, click on the new location 

(within the document) using the left mouse button. 

When the end of a line is reached, MS Word automatically ‘wraps’ the text onto the ne xt 

line. To start a new paragraph, press the Enter key on the keyboard. 

Selecting Text 

In order to be able to change text (e.g. delete, move, copy, or format it) it must first be 

selected. Selected text will appear with a dark background. To select text, e ither the 

mouse or the keyboard can be used as follows: 

1. Dragging with the mouse. 

With the left button of the mouse place the insertion point at the beginning of 

the text, and while holding the left button down, ‘drag’ through the text you wish 

to select. Once the selection is made, let go of the left mouse button. 



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2. Using keyboard and mouse shortcuts. 

There are a number of key and mouse combinations that can be used to select 

text. Some commonly used combinations are described below: 

Combination 

Shift + 

Shift + 

Double click a word 

Ctrl + mouse click in a sentence 

Triple click a paragraph 

Ctrl + A 

Selection 

Selects characters to the right of the 

insertion point. 

Selects characters to the left of the 


Selects the word and the space that 

follows. 

Selects the sentence. 

Selects the entire paragraph. 

Selects the entire document. 

Deleting Text 

To delete text, both the Backspace and the Delete key can be used. 

The Backspace key will remove text character by character from the insertion point 

backwards. 

The Delete key will remove text character by character from the insertion point 

forwards. 

To remove several words, sentences, or paragraphs at once it is quicker to select the 

section of text first and them press either Backspace or Delete (you can also type 

directly over top of selected text to replace it). 

Cutting, copying and pasting 

Cutting, copying, and pasting can be used to move text in a document. These functions 

all rely on the computer’s ‘Clipboard’. This clipboard is a temporary storage place. 

Function Action Ribbon Command Shortcut Key 

Cut 

Removes the selection and places 

Home Cut 

Ctrl + X 

it on the clipboard. 

Copy 

Copies the selection (leaving it in 

Home Copy 

Ctrl + C 

its original location) and places it 



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on the clipboard. 

Paste 

Places (i.e. pastes) the contents of 

Home Paste 

Ctrl + V 

the clipboard in the location of the 


Formatting 

Fonts 

A font is a typeface (type of lettering) used in a document. There are a range of fonts 

available. Make sure that the font used in clear, legible, and appropriate for the type of 

document. Fonts are measured in points. A heading is usually 14 or 16 points in size, 

whereas paragraph text is usually 12 points. Some examples of different fonts and 

sizes can be seen blow. 

This font is Times New Roman, 12 point 

This font is Arial, 16 point 

This font is Garamond, 10 point 

This font is Tahoma, 20 point 

To change the font type and/or size: 

1. Select the text to be changed. 

2. Choose the arrow to the right of the font box 

to display a list of all available fonts. The 

most recently used fonts will appear at the 

top of the list; the remainder of the list will be 

in alphabetical order. 

3. Select the font of your choice from this list. 

4. To change the font size, with the text still 

selected, choose the arrow to the right of the 

font size box and select the size required. Remember not to choose a 

font size too small or your reader will have difficulty seeing what has 

been written. 



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Bold, Italics, and Underline 

To make certain text in your document stand out, you can use boldface, italics, or 

underline characters, regardless of the font chosen. 

To boldface, italicise or underline text: 

1. Select the text. 

2. Choose either the bold ( ), italic ( ) or the underline ( ) command from 

the Font group of the Home tab. 

Note that you can also use shortcut keys, Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, and Ctrl + U to bold, italicise, 

and underline respectively. 

Using the Font Dialog Box 

In addition to use the commands in the Font group to make changes to font formatting, 

it is also possible to use the Font dialog box which will provides many more options 

regarding the way text appears. To bring up the Font dialog box, click the arrow in the 

bottom right corner of the Font group. 

In the Font dialog box that appears, select the required formatting options, and click 

OK. 



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Paragraph 

Paragraph Alignment 

Paragraphs can be aligned to the left, centred, right, or justified. Some disciplines have 

specific requirements such as justification of left-alignment so it is important to find 

this out before handling in any coursework. 

To align text: 

1. Position the insertion point within the paragraph (or select a range of 

paragraphs as required). 

2. Click on the appropriate alignment button on the Paragraph group of the Home 

tab. These buttons act as ‘toggles’ that will turn the alignment style either on or 

off. 

Left Centred Right Justify 

Examples of the various types of alignment can be seen below: 

This is what left 

aligned text looks 

like. 

This is what 

centred text looks 

like. 

This is what right 

aligned text looks 

like. 

This is what 

justified text looks 

like. 

You can also use the shortcut keys, Ctrl + L, Ctrl + E, Ctrl + R and Ctrl + J to left align, 

centre, right align, and justify respectively. 

Line Spacing 

Academic work usually requires line spacing of either 1 ½ or 2. Check with your 

department handbook or a staff member in your department to find out what line 

spacing is required. 

To change line spacing: 

1. Position the insertion point within the paragraph (or select a range of 

paragraphs as appropriate). 

2. Choose the arrow to the right of the line spacing button ( ) in the Paragraph 

group of the Home tab. 



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3. Choose the required line 

spacing from the list. If the 

required line spacing is not 

available in the list, click on 

‘Line Spacing Options…’ and set 

your own value in the 

Paragraph dialog box. 

You can use the shortcut keys, Ctrl + 1, 

Ctrl + 2, and Ctrl + 5 to single-space, 

double-space, and 1 ½ space 

respectively. 

Bulleting and Numbering 

Bulleting and numbering can help emphasise certain statements or aspects of your 

written work. To add bullets/numbers to text: 

1. Select the paragraph(s) that you would like to bullet/number. 

2. Choose the Bullets or Numbering button from the Paragraph group of the Home 

tab. 

Bullets 

Numbering 

3. To change the type of bullets or numbers that have appeared, click the down 

arrow to the right of the Bullets/Numbering button and select an alternate 

format. 

Setting-up pages 

By default, MS Word documents have a number of characters applied to their page 

layout such as size, orientation, and margins. It is often necessary to change these for 

academic work e.g. your lecturer may require a wide left margin for assignments. 



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Academic work also requires page number – these can be created automatically in MS 

Word. The following section discusses these features. 

Page Size 

In New Zealand, we typically use a paper size of A4. Unfortunately, as MS Word is 

developed in the United States the default setting is often for a US ‘Letter’ page size. It 

is important to ensure that documents are an A4 size as otherwise the page layout can 

look quite strange when printed. Using a letter-sized setting is MS Word can also jam 

some printers. 

To change the page size setting to A4 (or an alternative paper size): 

1. Click the Page Layout tab. 

2. Click the Size button and choose A4 from the list. 

3. If the required page size does not appear in the list, click More Paper Sizes… 

and customise the page settings using the Page Setup dialog box. 

Margins 

Margins are partly defined by the chosen page size setting; however it is also possible 

to change these settings. While it is possible to make changes by dragging the ruler 

markers, you will have more control over the document as a whole if you alter your 

margins using the following method: 


2. Click the Margins button and choose one from the list. 

3. If the required margin setting does not appear in the list, click Custom 

Margins… and increase/decrease the top, bottom, left, and/or right margins as 

required using the Page Setup dialog box. 

Orientation 

There are two orientations available in MS Word. They are: 

Portrait – The page will be larger vertically, as in a portrait of a person. This is 

suitable for writing. 

Landscape – The page will be larger horizontally. The page will be suitable for 

wide charts, diagrams and images. 

To change the page orientation: 




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2. Click the Orientation button and choose either Portrait or Landscape from the 

list. 

Note that unless ‘section breaks’ are used, all pages in the document will change to 

this orientation. Section breaks are covered in the Student Learning Centre’s ‘Thesis 

Formatting’ and ‘Thesis Writing in Word’ workshops – see the last page for details. 

Breaking Pages 

MS word will automatically start a new page when the end of the present page has been 

reached. It is also possible to start a new page in the document by ‘breaking’ your page 

partway down. To do so: 

1. Ensure that the insertion point is at the location that the new page is required. 

2. Choose Page Layout Breaks. 

You may select ‘Page’ under Page Breaks, or ‘Next Page’ under Section Breaks. 

Numbering Pages 

You may add page numbers to the document in various format and locations. 

1. Choose Insert Page Numbers. 

2. Click Format Page Numbers …. In the Page Number Format window, choose 

your preferred number format. 

3. Choose ‘Start at’ and make sure the numbering starts at ‘1’. 

4. Click Insert Page Number, and select one of the preferred locations to 

insert. 



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Useful Features for Assignment Writing 

Undo and Redo 

Don’t be afraid of ‘trying things out’ in MS Word. If you make a mistake, the ‘Undo’ 

feature will allow you to fix it by ‘undoing’ what you have done – most errors can be 

fixed using this feature. Once something has been ‘undone’ you use the ‘Redo’ feature 

to bring back whatever you have undone. The Undo ( ) and Redo ( ) buttons are 

located on the Quick Access Toolbar. Note if the Undo or Redo button is not displayed 

on the Quick Access Toolbar, you may add it by clicking the arrow beside the Quick 

Access Toolbar and select the command from the list. 

Spelling and Grammar Check 

The spelling and grammar check are turned on by default. If a word is spelt incorrectly, 

it will be underlined with a red/orange ‘wavy’ line. If there is a grammatical error, a 

green ‘wavy’ line will appear underneath the word. 

To correct errors as you type: 

1. Move the mouse cursor over the word and right 

click. 

2. Choose the correct word from the list that appears, or ‘Ignore’ as appropriate. 

To run the spelling and grammar check over the entire document: 

1. Click the Review tab, and then the Spelling & Grammar button. 

2. This will open a dialog box that will allow you to check each spelling and 

grammar error in turn. 

Many versions of MS Word are set to the US dictionary. This dictionary h as many words 

that are spelt different than a New Zealand dictionary. To change the 

dictionary/language: 

1. Click the Review tab, and then the Set Language button. 

2. Choose the required language and click OK. 



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Word Count 

University assignments often have a word limit or requirement. To count the number of 

words in the document, choose Review Word Count. 

Once you have read the information provided, click the Close button. 

Printing 

Before printing a document, choose the Print Preview command, which can be found by 

choosing the Office Button ( ) Print Print Preview. The document will appear in a 

new screen, and will let you see how your document looks before it is printed. It is a 

good idea to check margins, page numbers, and to see if any text or objects are spilling 

over a page. 

To print a document: 

1. Choose the Office 

Button ( ) Print 

Print. 

2. In the dialog that 

appears, choose the 

required options (such 

as number of copies). 

Note that in the ‘Print 

range’ area you can 

choose to print just the 

page you are working 

on, or a specific range of 

pages. 



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3. Choose OK to start printing. 

Note: to save money when printing draft copies, print two MS Word pages to an A4 

sheet. To do this, click the Properties button in the Print dialog box, and choose 2 from 

the ‘Pages Per Sheet’ drop box. 

Related Workshops 

The following workshops are offered by the SLC Computer Skills Development 

Programme, and may supplement the material covered in this workshop. These 

workshops are: 

Thesis Formatting 

Thesis Writing in Word 

Thesis Compiling 

Details of these workshops can be found on the SLC website: 

http://cad.auckland.ac.nz/index.phpp=word. 



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